


Need you now

by cedarrapidsgirl



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-23
Updated: 2011-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-27 23:10:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/301078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cedarrapidsgirl/pseuds/cedarrapidsgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach and Chris have recently broken up. But neither has moved on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Need you now

**Author's Note:**

> So I've heard the song that is in this fic, _Need you now_ , by Lady Antebellum, at least 50 times before I heard it again the other day, and thought, hm, that would make a great Pinto fic. So here it is. Lines in italics are from the song. For all my tumblr loves, especially Kelly who is my bestie enabler.

Chris Pine woke up in his apartment sweating, even though the air was on. It had nothing to do with the oppressive heat wave California was currently experiencing. He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbed his face, and sighed as reality settled down on him. It didn't come crashing down, despite the cliche. Besides, that happened last week, when Chris and Zach had their epic fight, and Chris found himself in his apartment more, instead of mostly living at Zach's place.

Chris sighed again. He looked at his bedside clock. 1 am. He was tired, but restless. He hadn't had much sleep since their breakup, even though he'd spend a lot of time in bed and on the couch. He'd spent much of the last week in his neglected apartment, wandering around, usually with some sort of snack, munching aimlessly. His friends and family called and tried to cheer him up. He heard them, and their consoling words and encouragements, but he didn't really listen to them. Or say much, either. Because they really had no idea what went on between him and Zach. None whatsoever. So he just let them prattle on in his ear, so they'd feel better about themselves, helping someone who needed it.

Chris leaned over and grabbed his phone off the bedside table. He scrolled down to his contacts, checked Zach's name, and hovered his thumb over the green "send" button, but he just couldn't bring himself to press it. Instead he stared at his phone, until the backlight dimmed, and then it went dark. Chris threw his phone back onto the table, and stared at the closed door across the hall.

The door was closed by Chris, the first night after the breakup. He came back to his apartment, not his _home_ , because Zach's place was _home_ , for him. He went into the bedroom, and saw the framed pictures of the two of them next to his bed, and on the shelves above it. And Chris was so furious, he grabbed all the pictures and threw them from his bed, across the hall into the spare bedroom, hearing the glass shatter and watching the wooden frames splinter, and the photos all over the floor. After all of the memories had been destroyed in that room, Chris had shut the door and left it that way.

 

 _Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor, Reachin for the phone cause I can't fight it anymore, And I wonder if I ever cross your mind, For me it happens all the time._

 _It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now, Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now, And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now._

Chris realized he was staring at the shut door. Suddenly, he couldn't take it any more. He slipped on his shoes, grabbed his keys and headed out into the heat.

~~~~~  
Zachary Quinto was sitting in a bar. Why, really, he had no damn idea. It had been a week since him and Chris had broken up, and he thought he was taking it well. He'd kept up his routine, walking Noah, going to yoga, getting his latte, the usual things. So why he wanted to go to a bar by himself, which he never did, and drink, instead of drinking at home, he wasn't quite sure.

Well, that's what he told himself on the surface, but deep down he knew better. He didn't want to drink at home right now because there was still so much of Chris still at his place. Chris's toothbrush, his favorite worn out tennis shoes, and at least 5 of those interchangeable white t shirts. And if he got drunk at home with all of the memories of Chris right there, he might get maudlin or sentimental or some shit like that. Not like he wasn't doing that right now, sitting in a dark bar nursing Jack Daniels instead of the fruity drinks Chris used to always tease him about ordering. When they used to go out. Together.

Zach took out his phone and looked at it. 1:05 am. How did it get to be so late? No, he thought, turning his phone over and over, I'm not gonna call now. I'm drunk, for crying out loud. He put it back in his jacket pocket.

 _Another shot of whiskey can't stop looking at the door, Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before, and I wonder if I ever cross your mind,For me it happens all the time._

 _It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now, said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now, and I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now, yes I'd rather hurt than feel nothin at all._

Zach takes a cab home. He's leaning up against the doorframe, looking for his house key, which is for some reason harder to find this evening. Zach blames the heat. It's not because he's kind of drunk. Well, not totally. Between the alcohol and the heat, it's all kind of messed up right now. As he finds the right key and concentrates on getting it to slide into the lock, he hears someone running. Zach didn't even want to think about why anyone would go running at 1:30 am when it's still 80 degrees out. He'd just turned the key in the door when he realizes that there's someone next to him, and that the running has stopped. Any other time he wouldn't have been surprised to see Chris on his doorstep. But given the circumstances, yeah, he jumps.

He must be hallucinating, Zach thinks, as somehow he turned the doorknob and the cold air in his apartment blasts him from one side. He turns to stare at Chris. The hot and cold combine right at him as he just stands there on his porch, looking at Chris, who's looking back, sweaty, exhausted from running in warm temperatures. If this were some cheesy rom-com it'd be raining right now, with Chris on Zach's doorstep all wet and desparate and wanting to talk, but this is California, and it doesn't rain that much here. They stare at each other silently for a few minutes, until Zach finally gets that little voice in his head that says something about 'not air conditioning the outside', and breaks the silence.

"You wanna come in?"

Chris finally breaks the eye contact and nods, looking down as he does. Chris follows Zach inside, and toes off his shoes at the door. He shifts his weight from one foot to another nervously as Zach does the same and then takes off his suit jacket and folds it over the back of a chair.

Now they're in the kitchen, and back to the staring contest. Only Zach is the only one staring, at Chris trying not to look at him. What a picture of opposites they made, Zach coming back from a night out with his dress shirt and tie, dress pants. And Chris looking like he'd just gotten out of bed in his white t shirt and athletic shorts, and bare feet. Both of them just standing there waiting, waiting for someone to make a move.

Zach's mouth was inexplicably dry when he tried to talk. "You want some water?"

Chris still won't look at him. "Yeah, that'd be good, thanks."

Zach goes over the cupboard and gets down two glasses, and fills them both with water, handing one to Chris. Chris drains it quickly, while Zach just sips his. They're each trying to find their voice, Zach surmises.

Chris sets his glass down, and after a deep breath, finally looks up at Zach. "I just-I just wanted to see you. I-" He stops, not knowing how to get what he wants to say into the right words.

Zach puts his glass down. "Well, I wanted to see you too."

And there it was, just a hint of a spark in Chris's eyes, and a little bit of a smile at the corner of his mouth, as Zach spoke. Zach couldn't help but laugh in relief as the tension was finally broken, finally a bit of happiness ending their own personal Hell week. Chris relaxed as well, grinning broadly, laugh lines deep by those damn blue eyes.

Zach held out his hand. "Come on. Let's go to bed. We can talk more in the morning."

Chris said nothing, just took Zach's hand and let him lead, both still smiling and cautiously optimistic about what the future may hold.

 _It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now, and I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now, and I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now, I just need you now_

 _Ooo, baby, I need you now._


End file.
